Milking-machine.



PATENTED SEPT. 26,-1905.

0. B. BRYANT. MILKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

WI TNE SSE 8: WC

LII

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lVllLKlNG-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905.

Application filed February 9, 1905. Serial No. 244,885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OSCAR BURTON BRYANT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ravenna, in the county of Buffalo and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved Milking-ll Iaehine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide novel details of construction for a milkingmachine that adapt it for convenient application to the teats of a cow, effect a painless milking operation that simulates hand-milking, and affords support for the machine on the animal while in use.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and defined in the subjoined claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side view of the milking-machine applied for use, the support therefor and some other details being broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View substantially on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a novel detail seen in the direction of the arrow 00 in Fig. 1. Fig. A is a side view of the machine and its pendent support seen in the direction of the arrow in in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view substantially on the line 5 5 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged partly-sectional side view of a portion of the machine seen in the direction of the arrow :0 in Fig. 2, showing a preferred construction for details of the same.

A milk-receptacle 5, that may, as shown, have a cylindrical side wall and a flat bottom 5, receives pendent support from the back of a milch-cow below and near its udder A. To this end a two-part hanger is provided, consisting of an upright member 6 in the form of a fiat thin bar of metal, which is secured upon the outer surface of the pan 5 and projects above it a proper distance. The other hanger member 6 is lapped at its lower portion upon the upper portion of the hanger member 6 and is held to slide endwise thereon, as shown in Fig. 4or by other means, and may be secured at a desired point of sliding adjustment by a set-screw a.

The upper portion of the hanger member 6 is curved laterally and downwardly, so as to form an open loop or yoke that in service engages the back and sides of the animal above its udder A, and the two hanger members are so proportioned in width of the loop and adjusted for length that the looped member will clasp the sides of the cow and the pan 5 be held in a horizontal position a short distance below the udder A.

Opposite the lower hanger member 6, which extends a short distance below the lower edge of the pan-body 5, a flat bracket-plate 7 is secured on the exterior of the pan in the same vertical plane with the hanger member 6 and like said member extends ashort distance below the pan-body, the upper end of the bracketplate being about level with the upper edge of said pan.

Upon the exterior of the pan 5, at an equal distance from the hanger member 6 and the bracket 7, four reinforce-blocks 8 are secured, and these blocks, which extend from the lower edge of the pan-wall 5 vertically, are of equal length that represents but a fraction of the height of the pan and are disposed oppositely in pairs, two an equal distance from the bracketplate at each side thereof and the other two an equal distance from the hanger member. Upon the reinforce-blocks Sfour like standards 9 are lapped at their respective lower ends and pivoted, said lower portions being offset, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, near their pivots 72, so that the portions of the standards above the offsets lie near the wall of the pan, above which they project an equal distance. Upon the end portions of the flat standards 9, which extend a short distance above the upper edge of the pan 5, a bell-crank arm 10 is lapped and pivoted upon each standard, these similar arms being bent edgewise at an obtuse angle, and their pivot connection 0, with a respective standard 9, is at the angle. One member 10 of each angular arm 10 extends laterally and downward toward a point equally distant from the standard upon which it is pivoted, and the pair of said members 10 that are at the same side of the pan with the bracket-plate 7 are at their ends lapped upon each other and upon the bracket-plate whereon these lapped ends are pivoted, as shown at (Z in'Fig. 1. Upon the upright members of the bell-crank arms 10, that are disposed oppositely in pairs, a shaft 11 is journaled near its ends in opposite perforations in each pair of said upright members near their upper ends, this arrangement of parts adapting the shafts 11 to rock toward each other or the reverse and preserve their parallelism to any IIO point of rockingadjustment. Upon each shaft 11 two preferably three-armed spiders are mounted and secured at equal distances from opposite ends of the shaft, respectively, the arms 12 of each spider being spaced an equal distance on the hub of the spider from which they radially project. The outer end of each spider-arm 12 is furcated, and between the parallel limbs of each fork a roller 13 is held to rotate on a central pivot c, as indicated in Fig. 1. The similar rollers 13 are peripherally grooved, said grooves being slightly concaved on their bottoms for a proper engagement with the teats of the animal during the milking operation. At each end of each shaft 11 a grooved pulley 1 1 is mounted and secured, and, as shown in Figs. :2 and 4, the ends of the shafts 11, together with the pulleys thereon, project beyond the side wall of the pan 5.

In the portions of the bracket-platc 7 and hanger member 6 extending below the pan 5 the ends of a driven shaft 15 are journaled, as appears at g in Figs. 2 and 4, the shaft being held from longitudinal movement by collars g, secured on the shaft outside the bearings that support it near the bottom wall 5 of the pan. The ends of the driven shaft 15 that extend beyond the collars r/ receive similar grooved pulleys it, that are affixed thereon, and between the collar y and pulley /L, at one end of said shaft, a sprocket-gear t'is mounted and secured. On the pivot (Z, for each pair of lapped members 10 of the angular arms 10, a grooved pulley (Z is mounted and held to rotate, each of said pulleys being in the same vertical plane with the grooved pulleys 7t and 14: at the same side of the pan 5. Upon each set of grooved pulleys 1a, (Z, and it that are in the same vertical plane an endless band 16 is mounted, said bands each engaging the under portions of the grooved edges of the grooved pulleys h and (.Z'. from which looped portions of the endless band extend upward and outward for engagement with the grooved peripheries of the pulleys 14 on their upper portions, as is clearly shown for one flexible connection or band 16 in Fig. 1.

Upon an outward projection from the outer side of the hanger member 6, above and near the pan 5, a crank-shaft 17 is rotatably mounted, having a crank-handle 17 on its outer end, and upon said shaft a sprocket-gear m is secured in the same vertical plane with the sprocket-gear v: on the driven shaft 15. An endless sprocket-chain 17 is mounted taut upon the gears i and m, thus connecting the driven shaft 15 with the crank-shaft 17.

On the outer side of each angular arm 10 and upon the pivot-boltc that connects it with a respective standard. 9 a presser-arm 18 is held to rock. The pivot c for each presserarm 18 is passed therethrough near the center of length of the arm, and from the pivot 0 downward each presser-arm member is rendered flat. Above and near the pivot 0 each presser-arm member is offset or bent at a right angle, a short horizontal member 18 being projected from the rightangular bend a inward or over the pan 5, and at a point which locates the inner end of each presserarm member 18, opposite but below a respective roller 13, an upwardly-trending member 18" is formed on said horizontal presserarm member 18, which is concaved on the side adjacent to and opposite the roller. Each presser arm member 18 is longitudinally channeled in the side that is opposed to the grooved periphery of a corresponding roller 13, as shown at 0 in Fig. 3, and, as appears in the drawings, the arm member 18" is of such a thickness as permits it to play freely between the side flanges of the roller to which it is opposed.

For convenience in arranging the operative details of the milking-machine a pair of the presser-arm members 18 at one side of the hanger-arm 6 may be disposed, as shown in Fig. 1, at the left-hand side, these members projecting inwardly or toward a transverse center line of the pan, while the other pair of arms at the right-hand side of the figure trend outward and upward.

Upon the outer edge of each standard 9 and near its upper end one end of a strong spiral spring 19 is secured, said springs, which extend away from the standards, having their remaining ends attached to the side of the pan 5, as shown in Fig. 1, and it will be seen that the pull of these contractile springs serves to tighten the bands 16, and at the same time rock the rollers 13 toward corresponding members 18 of the presser-arms 18.

The lower end of each depending member of an arm 18 is connected by a contractile spring 7) with the lower portion of a respective standard 9, and it will be evident that the pull of these springs rocks the concave channeled upper portions of the presser-arms toward the rollers 13, respectively.

It will be seen that by the rocking movement of the standards 9, angular arms 10, and presser-arms 18 the rollers 13 and concaved surfaces of the presser-arm members 18 may be caused to embrace the teats of the cow, whereupon a rotation of the crank-handle 17 in a proper direction will rotate the spiders on the shafts 11, so as to press the rollers 13 upon the teats A and expel milk drawn into the teats by the downward stripping motion of the rollers over the teats.

It is preferred to construct the presser-arm members l8 with extensions 18, said extensions being similarly channeled and curved upward toward their ends, as shown in Fig. 6, each portion 18 of the presser-arms 18 being provided with a nipple 18 on its lower side, a short section of hose 18, mounted upon the nipple, serving to convey milk from the extensions 18 into the receptacle 5 and avoid splashing of the milk. In Fig. 6 is also shown the preferred means for arranging the spring connection 39 between each presserarm 18 and an adjacent standard 9, consisting in providing a set-screw p for each arm, which screw passes through the arm near the lower end thereof and at its end nearest to a respective standard 9 has a swiveled connection with one end of the contractile spring p, which at 1its opposite end is secured upon said standarc It will be seen that by an adjustment of the set-screws p for the presser-arms 18 the tension of the contractile springs 99 may be exactly graduated to regulate the pressure of the portions 18" of said arms upon the teats of the cow, which is an essential provision. The construction and arrangement of the presser-arms adapts them to coact with the rollers 13 during the milking operation, as said presserarms afford yielding support to the teats opposite the rollers, which simulates the milking of a cow by hand. It will also be seen that the means for adjustment of the details of the milking-machine permit their speedy adjustment to give the rollers and presserarms proper positions for engagement with the teats of cows that are more or less spread apart on the udders.

On the bottom 5 of the pan 5 a nipple r is secured, which affords a passage for milk, and on the nipple a hose-section 9" may be secured by one end and thence be extended to a pail or other receptacle, so that as occasion may require the pan 5 may be emptied.

On account of the simplicity and accessible disposition of parts of the improved milkingmachine it may be readily cleansed, and thus be kept in sanitary condition.

It is obvious that many slight changes may be made in the construction and relative arrangement of parts of the invention within its scope. Hence I do not limit the construction to the exact forms, proportion, and relative arrangement of details, but claim the right to vary therefrom within the intent of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a milking-machine, the combination with a pan or the like, and means for supporting the pan pendent below the cow, of a milking device carried by the pan, embodying a rockably-supported roller, channeled to receive a teat, a rockable arm adapted to contact with the opposite side of the teat, means for pressing the roller and arm upon the teat, and means for rotating the roller.

2. In a milking-machine, the combination with a pan or the like, and means for supporting the pan, of a milking device carried by the pan, embodying a rockably-supported roller, channeled to receive a teat of a cow, a rockable arm having a concaved side adapted to contact with the opposite side of the teat, said concaved arm having a concaved extension on its lower end, and a nipple tapping said extension.

3. In a milking-machine, the combination with a supported pan, and an arm held to rock from an upright position on the pan and having a concaved side, of a rotatably-supported roller having a grooved face opposed to the concavity of the arm, means for moving the roller tangentially to said face of the arm, so as to sweep thereover from the upper end downward, and means for manually actuating the arm and roller.

4. In a milking-machine, the combination with a supported pan, a standard held to rock on the outer side of the pan near the lower end of said standard, and a spider having a plurality of arms, each arm carrying a grooved roller, of means for rotating the spider, a rockable presser-arm carried by the standard, said arm having a concaved side opposed to the rollers as they are turned toward it, and means for drawing the presser-arm toward the rollers.

5. In a milking-machine, the combination with a supported pan, of a plurality of standards pivoted near their lower ends on the outer side of said pan, the standards projecting upward and oppositely in pairs, an angular arm pivoted upon each standard near its upper end, lower ends of depending members of these angular arms at the same side of the pan having lapped and pivoted support on the pan, a transverse shaft journaled in upper members of each pair of the angular arms, multiple-armed spiders secured on each shaft, rollers having channeled faces and held to rotate on ends of the spider-arms, a driven shaft held to rotate below the pan, pulleyson said driven shaft, pulleys on ends of the transverse shafts, endless hands mounted on all the pulleys and also engaging idler-pulleys at sides of the pan, spring-drawn presserarms having upper ends opposed to the rollers, and means for manually rotating the driven shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OSCAR BURTON BRYANT.

Witnesses:

E. B. PooL, S. N. BENTLEY. 

